Rail flange clamp



July 1948@ A H. GEN-[ER 2,444,599

RAIL FLANGE CLAMP Filed oct. 4, 1944 Patented July 6, i948 UNITEDvsrli'rlas PATENT ori-Iced Albert H. A(tenter, Mount Lebanon, Pa.Application October 4, 1944, Serial No. 557,098

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to rail clamps and more particularly toa clamp for connecting a return circuit cable to the flange of a rail.

`Mining machinery working at the face of the mine remote of the mainhaul, in which the feeder circuits, trolley wire and rail return circuitare permanent, must have some means of conducting power from the mainhaul to the face. This is usually accomplished by means of cablescarried by the mining machinery on drums or reels. The free end of thepower cable is provided with -a feeder tap while the free end of thereturn circuit cable is connected to a clamp arranged to be attached tothe rail. As the machines move about in the room or at the face thecables are reeled out and in accordingly. Some mining equipment travelon pneumatic tires which necessitates the use of cables to provide themwith power. l

'I'he principal object of this invention is the provision of a returnrail clamp that may be quickly attached and detached to the flange of arail.

Another object is the :provision of a return rail clamp that has apositive three-point contact with the iiange of a rail.

' Another object is the provision of a return rail clamp having lowresistance contact between the rail and the cable.

Another object is the provision of a return rail clamp that is readilyadjustable to lit the flanges of different sizes of rails.

Other objects and advantages appear in the following description andclaims.

A practical embodiment illustrating the principles of this invention isshown on the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a reduced side elevational view showing the return rail clampconnecting a cable with the flange of a rail.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the return rail clamp.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the return rail clamp.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the return rail clamp` Fig. 5is a perspective view of the cable clamping plate.

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of a handle hinged to the set screw.

Fig. 7 is a front elevational View of an integral handle and set screw.

Referring to the drawings, the return rail clamp body IU is providedwith a horizontally disposed lower jaw I I and an upper diverging jaw I2formof the rail I,4 between spaced ties I5. The angle between the jawsis approximately fifteen degrees which is substantially the degree ofslope of the top surface of the rail flange. The flange varies inthickness in accordance with the vweight of the rail but the slope ofthe top fiange surface remains substanti-ally the same. y

An upwardly extending boss I6 is cast integral with and normal to thetop of the upper jaw I2 and is provided with a screw threaded socket orhole the axis of which is disposed normal to the upper surface of therail flange. A cast set screw I8 is provided with a mating thread I9 anda square shank 20 at the top thereof and is arranged to receive themating socket in the head of the Vwrench 2|. This shank is preferablytapered axially to provide a tight engagement between the wrench handleand the screw. The inner end of the screw I8 is provided with a hardmetal ball tip 22 made of any suitable material such as hard carbide.The ball tip 22 is arranged to engage and bite into the top rail flangesurface when the handle of the wrench 2| is turned and make a lowresistance contact with the rail.

The inner surface of the bottom jaw is provided with three semlsphericallugs 23, 24 and 25 disposed in triangular spaced relation fwith ea-chother. The lug 23 is adjacent the bottom at the center of thegroove andthe other lugs 24 and 25 are positioned on either side of the lug 23adjacent the outer edge of the j-aw as shown in Fig. 4. The tip 22 ofthe set screw I8 is disposed substantially midway between the threelugs. When the clamp is placed on the rail the three lugs 23, 24 and 2-5engage the under side of the ange I3 and provide a iirm seatingengagement while the tip 22 of the screw contacts the top of the ilangein the center of the triangular arrangement of the lugs. When the screwI8 is firmly seated the tip 22 and the lugs 23, 24 and 25 bite into therail flange I3 and provide a low resistance contact.

The pitch of the threads of the screw I8 is Ichosen so that the tip 22bites into the rail flange when the lever handle 2| is swung in an arcless than 180. If the handle 2| is moved counterclockwise in Fig. 2until it is substantially parallel with the rail the tip 22 of the screwwill be withdrawn into the cavity 26 out -of contact with the railfiange I3. If the rail employed is a sixty pound rail the tip 22 of thescrew I8 will make a tight engagement when the handle 2| is movedclockwise through If the rail employed is a twenty-live pound rail thecla-mp will be tight using the screw 21 shown in Fig. 6 which is pro-1-Vided with a bifurcated head 28 arranged to handle 2l may be removedfrom the set screw and the latter adjusted to engage a rail flange ofpredetermined size. The lever handle may then be replaced and thesetting will thus be maintained regardless of the number of times it isremoved or applied to the same size rail flange without furtheradjustment. The flop lever 29 may be held vertically and the set screwadjusted to properly engage a seleotedrail-flange. The 'l'everf isthenforced down; into operatingiposition and may also be repeatedly appliedand removed u from rail anges of the same size without altering theadjustment. Thus when either of these rail receive the end of the handley29. A pivotlpin clam-psare properly set they may be applied inissecured to the bifurcated portion of. ,thesrewt Ldiscriminately:

head and passes through the end of the handle 29 to permit the latter tobe-oppe`d4v vertic'allyii'-,

from one side to the other, thus providinga half turn adjustment of thetip 22 relative to the rail flange. .The sides of the bifurcated head 28are engaged by the sides fof 'the handle=totransmit the 'forceirom thehandle tothe screw.

The'screwil andthe handle 32 "shown'n Fig. 'l'are castintegral'fwith.'eacll'otlfier.- 'This form of `screw would be employed Where'the rail`sizes are practically'all the sameV or Within the-Vadjustifientlof'a180" swing of -the handle and the position of the latter relative tothe screw is determined when' the Vcasting ismade to accommodate apredetermined series ofirail sizes..

The' 'return 'to rail 'clamp l0 is provided with a rearwardly projectingflange 33 having a U- shaped groove 34 in the-upperface thereof which isarranged toreceive the Lbared cable conduce tor 35.121 verticallydisposedthreaded hole 36 is formed through theflange 33'ir'ij thelcenter of the U-shaped groove. A cable .clamping plate `3'? havingatleast one square end 38 karida vclearance hole- 39, which may` bealigned Vwith the .f threaded hole .3E to receive the boltAD,,islprovidecl'y to .secure the cable 35 t vthe rail vclamp ji-0. Thebolt 4U is lprovidedwitnthelockewasher 4l tonprevent the bolt. fromAbecomingloose. .The square end 38ffof the plate engages .the vbodyofvthe clamp to prevent the ,tplatenfrom turning... l

The casting of the rail.flange-clampsethat employthe wrenchhandle 211yor, the op handle 2 9 shown in Figsf .andf respectively-maybe pro-`vided pwith .the `upwardlyv extending. stopabutment. 42.which is .disposed parallel .with the jaws and ,the rail. .The endsAof..this.abutmentprevent the leveriromA traveling beyondthe `edge of:the jaws ofthe clamp..thus. vlimiting .the rotation rof thelevters intheir operating posi-tion.` V'The `lever I claim: A-rail flange-:clampfor attaching an electric returnircuit cable to the iiange of a railconsisting of, a body having integral upper and lower diverging jawmembers arranged toreceive a rail flange therebetween',"connecting meansfor electrically'connecting an electric cable to the body, a threadedopeningthrough the upper jaw member with its axis disposedsubstantiallynormalto the angeengaging'surface of said jaw member,a'complementary s crew for said threaded opening arranged to engage thetop of a rail flange for thepurpcse of fixing thecl'amp thereto, andthree lugs on the flange engagingsurfa'ce' 'of the lower jaw memberdisposed'in spaced' triangular'arrangementaboutthe axis of the screwwith two lugs positioned in'alignment and adjacent .the outer edge'of'the lower vjaw member, whereby the clamping'force of thescrew'reactswith 'the rail flange and saidV lugs Yto prevent the clamp, from backingoijtheflang'e.'

` ALBERT H.' GENTER.'

REFERENCES CITED The following .references are .of -record dri.y the leof this .paten-t;

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,350,099 .Dermond Mayen, 1944

